Eilen Jewell

When: Tue., Jan. 17, 8 p.m. 2012

Though Eilen Jewell began playing aching, torchy country in the vein of early Jolie Holland, with her slow croon drifting over fiddles and twang, she quickly began to push against the confines of her style. Since, she's dipped into rockabilly, straight blues and cocktail swing. After an album of more obscure Loretta Lynn covers (2010's Butcher Holler), she returned last summer with Queen of the Minor Key, exploring a swinging late-night vibe. It's highlighted by "Bang Bang Bang," where Cupid fires into a crowd with a sawed-off shotgun. "Love is careless, random and cruel," she observes. "He don't take aim/ just bang bang bang." —Chris Parker